The modern toilet in use today consists of two main parts, the upper part which holds water, referred to as a tank section, and the lower part consisting primarily of a bowl with a volume of water which is designed to receive human waste products. Once the waste products have been deposited in the bowl, they are removed by releasing the water held in the upper tank section into the bowl which, through a specially designed system, removes the waste products to a collection system, such as a sewer system or septic tank, and then refills the bowl so that there is left standing a volume of water. Waste consists of solid and liquid wastes and in presently available toilets, one flush is utilized to carry away both solid and liquid wastes, even for occasions when there is only liquid waste in the toilet bowl. In these standard toilets, a full complete flush is effected with each flush and the total contents of the water holding tank is drained into the bowl and then out into the sewer system.
One of the most popular toilet flushing apparatuses uses a ball-cock valve assembly that controls the inlet of water into the toilet water tank. A float ball is connected to the ball-cock valve by means of a float arm. As the toilet tank fills with water, the buoyant float ball rises in the tank section, the motion being transmitted to the ball-cock through the float arm until at a predetermined water level the ball-cock assembly shuts off the water inlet to the tank. This corresponds to a generally horizontal position of the float arm. In most toilets, the water level in the water tank may be adjusted by means of a screw set mechanism provided in the ball-cock assembly. This adjustment, however, is limited in range and requires that the tank lid be lifted to obtain access to the ball-cock. Once the water level in the tank is set, the adjustment is usually thereafter ignored. The same volume of water is therefore discharged from the tank every time that the flush apparatus is tripped, regardless of the volume which may be actually required on a particular occasion in order to successfully flush the toilet.
It is a well known fact that the largest use of water in most households and in many office buildings is for flushing toilets. Because the flushing is carried out with the full capacity of the water in the water tank, the water usage is wasteful and is not required. Considerate interest has been centered on reducing the water used when toilets are flushed, especially at times and in places when there is a water difficiency or periods of drought.
Several water saving methods have been used to conserve water during the toilet flushing operation. One such method has been to deposit a filled water bag or a solid object, such as a brick, in the water tank to displace an equivalent volume of water in the tank, to thus reduce the volume of water consumed with each flushing. Another common method is to lower the float valve to allow the ball-cock valve to close at a reduced water level. These methods to save water in many cases are self-defeating, in that, the effectiveness of the flush is diminished and it may be necessary to flush twice to effect a sanitary flush. Additionally, such methods represent a compromise in that the volume of water is set and is not readily adjustable.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention however, the following U.S. patents were considered related:
______________________________________ U.S. PAT. NO. INVENTOR ISSUED ______________________________________ 4,837,867 Miller 13 June 1989 4,700,413 Lopez 20 October 1987 4,483,024 Troeh 20 November 1984 4,145,775 Butler 27 March 1979 ______________________________________
The Miller patent discloses a dual flush system for toilets to effect a main flush or a partial flush of the toilet to carry away liquid wastes. The system functions by partially opening the main valve located in the water holding tank of the toilet for a period of time that is determined by the operator. When the valve is opened slightly, downward pressure on the valve and suction forces the water passing between the valve and valve seat to exert a downward force on the valve that causes the valve to pull back into a closed position after opening. Only when the valve is raised to a position where its buoyancy exceeds the downward pressure is a full flush effected. The system includes the means to limit the upward lifting of the valve by limiting the lengthwise travel of a cord attached to the valve. The cord is attached on its other end to a flush handle and lever.
The Lopez patent discloses a toilet flushing mechanisms that provides high and low water volume selectability. The invention consists of an articulated float arm that is normally bent at an angle by a detent mechanism to maintain a low water level in the toilet water tank. A linkage is provided to the exterior of the tank for releasing the detent mechanism. When so released, the buoyant float straightens the arm thereby admitting additional water into the tank to obtain a more ergorous flushing action.
The Troeh patent discloses a variable flush for a toilet water tank wherein the valve is operated by the same toilet trip lever as the usual single level types. The operational differences, presented by the invention, is that a light pressure on the toilet trip handle causes the two-level flush valve to yield a small flush whereas a heavier pressure will cause a full flush. The invention includes a first float connected to the outer end of the valve arm to maintain the valve in an open position until the water level falls below a predetermined level. A second float is carried on a float arm pivoted intermediate its ends to the support.
The Butler patent discloses a toilet water saving device in the form of flow control valve. The valve may be installed in the refill tube for the toilet bowl of a water tank, and is adjusted to establish the proper amount of refill water to flow into the toilet bowl after each flush, so as to avoid wasting water. The device may also be mounted directly on the main toilet valve unit as a built-in item for newly manufactured toilets.